Duplicate Custodians

Chapter 3

"Jaaasspppeeeerrr!!!!" Young Emily, sister of Lucas, yelled from the front porch when the school bus stopped at Lucas's house. "Oh, hi Emily lily! You look gorgeous today! Nice day!" I cheered. That girl was so cute I always had a soft feeling for her. She was 7 and was going to school that morning, dressed in a pink and white jumper with brown straight silk hair leaning down to her neck. She had wheat-ish skin and she admired my care for her as a sister would do for a brother. (Part of me knew she liked me because I called her Emily LILY which wasn't her name but a nickname for her.) 

"Hey bro what's up", I realized I was still staring at Emily with a blissful face when Lucas joined in. "I suppose you took a long time learning the speech", God, he was still teasing me. "Lucas, the first thing I wasn't interested in that thing at all but still I managed to memorize that, the second thing you know..."

"That not your style. Learning speeches, am I right?" That girl was Emma. She had skin like snow white. She had wavy crimson red hair till her chin and she had black eyes, and she appeared in skirts and boots and capris; sort of a crazy snow white. Also, she speaks like the British Queen Victoria. With an eye roll trying to sound more professional and fluent British speaker. Okay, I am not the least bit interested in her nor do I had any soft feelings for her like Emily. She's annoying, and always picking her nose in my business. "Umm, back to your question Lucas, I memorized the speech, and I know I am awesome!" Just how simply I ditched her. Emma had always been irritating. She was with me in science, math, geography, history, English, Gym class, skating class, thank God, not in swimming class, and art class. She sat in the front seat and was a chatterbox. Always tried to call the attention of guys and gals and staff in school towards her. Thinking she is superior and elegant. Unique and worth everything. I hate her, though it's good that this act of hers keeps other students safe. Those who don't want to be in the spotlight.

I was in miss pump lump's office and I was ending my well-memorized speech when I was trying to bow, and suddenly my hand hit the showcase just behind me, and a glass ballerina model just about the size of my palm slipped from the glassy showcase and fell. I bent down and took the magic glue (which wasn't a real magic glue) out of my skinny blue jeans' pocket. I assembled all of the pieces and glued them together, I closed my eyes after gluing the parts carefully then closed my eyes and imagined the right size and picture of the ballerina glass model. When I opened my eyes, I was almost done. This always drenched me. took my all energy. I felt starving. Everything was in its place. I looked up and suddenly realized 2 pairs of brown eyes of Lucas and Daniel staring at me, Miss Sara's almond light brown eyes and Miss Pump lump's grey eyes, all locked on me. Pretty little nice combination, huh?

I stood up uncomfortably and managed a smile. Why was everyone's attention to me? I had no idea? Did I do something out of the box?

"OH, friends? Miss Sara? Did I make a mistake in the speech?" I asked.

She stayed quiet for a moment, cleared her throat, and then said, "No, no child. Everything was perfect as ever. But that ballerina statue, what did you... How did you glued them together and made it look like nothing ever happened to it?" She walked over to me and took the model in her hands. Staring at it admiringly as if she saw that thing for the first time. "Look there's no crack. It fell on the ground and shattered to two pieces but..?"

"Dude, you are a superhero. Hard to admit, but still, the way you saved the glass dancer from being broken to pieces was heroic! Though you glued them, I think it was all Glue's credit, but heroic." I was still confused. Saved a falling glass dancer? No, I never did that.

"Okay silence, please. Children, you go back to your class. Your class teacher will discuss my comments and we will let you know if this needs to get in the children's museum this year. Thank you." Miss Pump lump who was setting her bun on top of her head, ordered. Her hands coming to the table gently and her eyes waiting for us to exit.

We were leaving when someone knocked on the door. Everyone's attention turned to the door. A pion peeped in, "Ma'am, someone has come to meet sir Jasper," I cut him off out of disappointment, but realized I was in the admin office.

"Who is it, Charlie?" Miss Pump lump asked.

"A white dog with black polka dots on its body. He wears this collar of red color with the title of the name Jet. He handed me this letter from his master that he wants to meet sir Jasper urgently, due to some medical case, says the letter". The sweeper blabbed this out without taking breaths. Incredible. But wait, Jet came to meet me? That dog? He alone?

I didn't get more questions to ask myself or find me the answers when the sweeper moved in front of me and asked me to follow. I had no option. 

We ended up on the playing ground. Jet was sitting near the large yellow slide for primary kids. He was eating or drinking (whatever) Koko crunch!! Seriously. I tilted my face 90 degrees towards the sweeper. I guess I was rather joyful than stunned, "I didn't know a dog could visit, so I offered him Koko crunch", He was guilty. "Sir, no problem. That dog can eat whatever he is offered! But he loves Cheetos." I ran towards Jet, he raised his head, his tongue hanging out.

"Jet!" I whispered in his ears hugging him. His scent, filling me. Jet barked in response. 

I rubbed his rabbit-like ears, completely black and leathery. He licked my face. No, one can understand me more than this dog. I hugged him again, wrapping my arms around his stomach. 

"Sir, what do you decide?" The sweeper was looking at both of us strangely.

I realized he had never seen a teen boy in love with a black dog. "We'll go". I stood up and Jet did the same thing. The sweeper already had my bag. I took it from him and walked out of the school. All the way, Jet walked, no he never walks. He was running and taking me along.

Soon we were home. The fulfillment of it coerced me to surrender as coming home from school before 2.30 pm, was a forbidden thing. I glanced at Jet. He still had this letter which brought me home. I plucked it from his collar and read it. It wasn't either grand pa's or grand ma's writing. "Hey, jet! Who gave you this letter?" I expected some nice response instead he marched in. Of course, today I didn't have any option except to follow people and animals.

Jet's coffee eyes looked so excited that I had to follow. We finished our journey. I looked up and locked my eyes with what I never could ask for permission. "Jet! Hey, you have been living with us since you were a baby! You should know by now the rules and limits of this house." I told him, but he barked and I knew I needed to explain, I kneeled and looked into his eyes,

"Listen Jet, we aren't allowed to go into this room. I know it is a curiosity, I have tried to enter this room a million times, and this storeroom looks old and well-guarded. Plus it's locked".

It seemed like Jet wasn't paying attention but when I said 'It's locked', he barked again and sniffed. Then he did what I never expected. He started digging the pot of artificial daffodil flowers and took out the key. The five-starred obedient grandson inside me curled into a ball behind the couch. I smirked at Jet.